Listen To Childbirth's New Album, Women's Rights

Women's Rights, the latest release from DIY indie pop 'supergroup' Childbirth, clocks in at just under half an hour. It's about the length of a comedy panel show, but it's funnier. Consisting of Julia Shapiro from Chastity Belt, Stacy Peck of Pony Time, and Bree McKenna from Tacocat, Childbirth has the distinctive sounds and skills of those three bands, and then they intensify their irreverent and quick-witted lyrics. Childbirth take women's rights, both the album and the actual concept, seriously, but they have mastered the ability to talk - or, sing - about it with sarcasm.
“Baby Bump” is about bringing coke to a friend's birthday party; “you're pregnant and I want to have a good time! Baby powder just isn't enough!” contrasted by “Let's Be Bad”, a song listing the 'bad antics' that a woman from a yoghurt advert might get up to (or, equally, the kind of asinine comments we overhear if working a waitressing shift on a Thursday night); wearing skirts that barely fit, drinking white wine, and ordering dessert, because “we deserve it”.

There are satirical observations, too, of young teenage girls on @Julia Shapiro, of bra-wearing and tampon-using, prom dates and Starbucks drinks. On “Siri Open Tinder”, men's Tinder profiles are satirised too, with a cornucopia of reasons to swipe left; tech bro, dick pic, shirtless, and dreadlocks are definitely all valid reasons for rejection.

Whilst almost every song on the album is hilariously truthful, certain songs also take a turn for the heartbreakingly truthful. “I know you and I know that you like dick, what is this, some kind of trick? … make up your mind”, Shapiro sings on "Since When Are You Gay" echoing the questions the band members have been asked.

Similarly tongue-in-cheek is the way the band perform in maternity gowns; their press photo is a parody like the Hairpin's stock images of 'women laughing and eating salad', yet another demonstration of Childbirth satirising strange media phenomena and riffing on feminist discourse of contemporary culture.

Listen to Women's Rights whilst reading about #StandWithPP or Bisexual Awareness Week, two events that just preceeded the release of the record and align with the feminist ethos. Or, you know, play it whilst eating salad or greek yoghurt, laughing, alone.